Cluess

[quote="Mike Zaun" post=339056]I'd take Amaker way before Cluess. He proved himself at Harvard...a much better program than Iona IMO. Played tougher comp.[/quote]

Amaker had brought in a class of Eddie Griffin, Andre Barrett, and Marcus Toney-El and still managed to lose. If that wasn't bad enough he some how brought basketball scandal to Harvard.

Btw, I'd rather have Marcus Toney-El as a coach than Amaker or Cluess (probably Andre Barrett too but I imagine he's still playing somewhere in the world).
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=339057][quote="Mike Zaun" post=339056]I'd take Amaker way before Cluess. He proved himself at Harvard...a much better program than Iona IMO. Played tougher comp.[/quote]

Betch-ya Cluess beats Amaker 2 games outta 3 any day of the week IF Cluess has 90% of the talent Amaker has.
No question in my mind.
Cluess can coach.[/quote]

Don't look at common opponents of Havard and Iona.
 
If Hurley is our first choice then we have to wait on his decision. In the meantime we should be reaching out to other candidates which were hopefully identified already. We shouldn’t hire Cluess just because we might lose Josh Roberts or Greg Williams. This is an important hire and as mediocre things have been the last nine seasons they could get worse.
 
[quote="Chicago Days" post=339037]I think TC is our sole ‘Plan B’ option ready to go ‘in case’, sooo, if BH demurs, I say go for Cluess...and Norman and Hsu and maybe Grasso.[/quote]
Cluess I believe is dark horse at best. I think there is more logic with Plan B including Duke pedigree seemingly preferred by Cragg. Think of Doug Collins progression to a HC job and it may point to another AC ready to rise. Hopefully Plan B won’t come into play, but you can’t assume that for sure. Just me, but Pitino “stuff” seems folly.
 
[quote="Paultzman" post=339104][quote="Chicago Days" post=339037]I think TC is our sole ‘Plan B’ option ready to go ‘in case’, sooo, if BH demurs, I say go for Cluess...and Norman and Hsu and maybe Grasso.[/quote]
Cluess I believe is dark horse at best. I think there is more logic with Plan B including Duke pedigree seemingly preferred by Cragg. Think of Doug Collins progression to a HC job and it may point to another AC ready to rise. Hopefully Plan B won’t come into play, but you can’t assume that for sure. Just me, but Pitino “stuff” seems folly.[/quote]

Won't happen but much better plan A
 
If Hurley says no and Pitino is indeed untouchable than they need to take their time and make the right choice. Cluess can coach thats a fact and is miles ahead of Mullin as a coach, he would need the right assistants though to suceed in the Big East. The MAAC is definitely not the worst league in the country lol thats over exaggerating with leagues like the NEC, SWAC and MEAC. With that said he is not the only option out there after BH and RP. I for one think the Duke guys, besides Brey who is not available, are all underwhelming and Cluess is better than all of them. So hopefully its not one of them. Last time I checked Tubby Smith is at High Point and I assume he would jump at the chance to coach in the big leagues again. Hes not flashy but he runs a clean program and can coach up pretty much anybody. I personally like Scott Nagy from Wright St, im surprised he hasn't gotten much attention from bigger schools yet. He has shown he can build a program quickly (3 years all 20 win seasons at WSU) and he has the pedigree as his dad is Dick Nagy who was an assistant under Lou Henson at Illinois. Theres a few more I think are good options but im too tired right now.
 
[quote="Dan V" post=339120]If Hurley says no and Pitino is indeed untouchable than they need to take their time and make the right choice. Cluess can coach thats a fact and is miles ahead of Mullin as a coach, he would need the right assistants though to suceed in the Big East. The MAAC is definitely not the worst league in the country lol thats over exaggerating with leagues like the NEC, SWAC and MEAC. With that said he is not the only option out there after BH and RP. I for one think the Duke guys, besides Brey who is not available, are all underwhelming and Cluess is better than all of them. So hopefully its not one of them. Last time I checked Tubby Smith is at High Point and I assume he would jump at the chance to coach in the big leagues again. Hes not flashy but he runs a clean program and can coach up pretty much anybody. I personally like Scott Nagy from Wright St, im surprised he hasn't gotten much attention from bigger schools yet. He has shown he can build a program quickly (3 years all 20 win seasons at WSU) and he has the pedigree as his dad is Dick Nagy who was an assistant under Lou Henson at Illinois. Theres a few more I think are good options but im too tired right now.[/quote]

Absent Hurley I would like to see them look to Chris Collins, coaching at Northwestern, or Randy Bennett, who has an amazing 400 plus wins at St. Mary’s
 
If Cluess was to come in I think we would need to provide some top recruiters around him. It seems like he can coach but going from HS, Division2 , and MAAC to the Big East is a huge jump and is a different beast.

If they want to put fans in the seats I am not sure if this is going to do it.
 
[quote="Manhattan1" post=339130]If Cluess was to come in I think we would need to provide some top recruiters around him. It seems like he can coach but going from HS, Division2 , and MAAC to the Big East is a huge jump and is a different beast.

If they want to put fans in the seats I am not sure if this is going to do it.[/quote]

Rasheen Davis is out there as an assistant. He would be solid.
 
In the absence of not bringing in Pitino, maybe Cleus would be the right move for us! From what I read this guy and his entire family love St John’s. It would be his dream job with money not being the primary motivating factor! As far as his coaching ability is concerned I believe he is head and shoulders ahead of Hurley. If we surround him with the right AC’s he could be another Louie and wouldn’t that be great! In my mind he would provide us with the great basketball we used to experience under Carnesecca!
 
If Cluess could recruit really well and had similar success at Richmond or so I’d take him. MAAC to BE is huge jump. I said we needed to get Oats while we could and after all the “waiting it out” and “being patient”, he was poached by Bama. The weak and timid get eaten alive. The aggressors win.
 
Good ADs even with a great coach in place have a short list for a replacement because you just never know what can happen. Don't know what Cragg's plan was but if all his candidates however many fall through would prefer taking our time even if it takes a month and costs us next season in terms of players because the most important thing is to finally get this hire right even if it takes an exhaustive nationwide search (maybe even international).
 
[quote="bamafan" post=339171]Good ADs even with a great coach in place have a short list for a replacement because you just never know what can happen. Don't know what Cragg's plan was but if all his candidates however many fall through would prefer taking our time even if it takes a month and costs us next season in terms of players because the most important thing is to finally get this hire right even if it takes an exhaustive nationwide search (maybe even international).[/quote]

Do you think Duke had one ? Kinda doubt it.
 
[quote="bamafan" post=339171]Good ADs even with a great coach in place have a short list for a replacement because you just never know what can happen. Don't know what Cragg's plan was but if all his candidates however many fall through would prefer taking our time even if it takes a month and costs us next season in terms of players because the most important thing is to finally get this hire right even if it takes an exhaustive nationwide search (maybe even international).[/quote]

I'm going to speculate, with good knowledge, that a high level discussion of replacing Mullin began in Dayton, within minutes after the loss. Cragg was likely not part of that discussion, but I'm certain was on board.
 
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[quote="Beast of the East" post=339175][quote="bamafan" post=339171]Good ADs even with a great coach in place have a short list for a replacement because you just never know what can happen. Don't know what Cragg's plan was but if all his candidates however many fall through would prefer taking our time even if it takes a month and costs us next season in terms of players because the most important thing is to finally get this hire right even if it takes an exhaustive nationwide search (maybe even international).[/quote]

Do you think Duke had one ? Kinda doubt it.[/quote]
With his health issues and age I'm sure they do and coach K most certainly involved with that list.
 
[quote="bamafan" post=339181][quote="Beast of the East" post=339175][quote="bamafan" post=339171]Good ADs even with a great coach in place have a short list for a replacement because you just never know what can happen. Don't know what Cragg's plan was but if all his candidates however many fall through would prefer taking our time even if it takes a month and costs us next season in terms of players because the most important thing is to finally get this hire right even if it takes an exhaustive nationwide search (maybe even international).[/quote]

Do you think Duke had one ? Kinda doubt it.[/quote]
With his health issues and age I'm sure they do and coach K most certainly involved with that list.[/quote]

Is Hurley on that list? Wojo? Dawkins? would they promote?
 
I think when Cragg came to SJU, he had a pretty clear vision of what he wanted to do with our BB Program when he accepted the AD position. I cannot believe he would have terminated CM unless he had a very firm plan, how to proceed from there. I think he had the moves after the termination as clearly laid out as the termination itself.
It's been less the 48 hours since the announcement, I think the prudent thing would be to take a breath and allow this thing play out.
 
[quote="Frank61" post=339195]I think when Cragg came to SJU, he had a pretty clear vision of what he wanted to do with our BB Program when he accepted the AD position. I cannot believe he would have terminated CM unless he had a very firm plan, how to proceed from there. I think he had the moves after the termination as clearly laid out as the termination itself.
It's been less the 48 hours since the announcement, I think the prudent thing would be to take a breath and allow this thing play out.[/quote]

I agree that we need to take a breath but this situation needs to be resolved sooner rather than later. It's spring recruiting season and we have open roster slots to fill (and perhaps more to come). A new head coach will have to quickly assemble a quality staff, re-recruit the players on the current roster that he would like to keep and recruit Big East caliber players to fill out the roster. Not easy feats to accomplish in a relatively short time frame.

I am very excited to see how this plays out. Here's hoping that bringing in an AD from a blue blood program like Duke will play dividends for St John's at a critical time for us.
 
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Unless it's Pitino, who most of us are only championing half jokingly (because it's not going to happen) next year is going to be a disaster. There is a reason many of us were rooting like crazy for Mullin succeed and it had nothing to do with 1985. It's not wanting to go through this mess again. But we are here and although it would be nice if it was wrapped up quickly I think it is way more important to get the best coach possible.
 
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